Unexpected Turns
by Joliet113
Summary: Just a quick idea I came up with involving my Rayman OCs, Axel and Dayanara. I have a better description of this story under my deviantART page (username: Rainmaker113), if you're interested. Rated "T" because of violence and whatnot.


"Axel?" Dayanara's timid voice could be heard from the other room. Axel's head jerked up instantly, and a small spark of hope arose in his heart. "Where are you?"

Slowly, he dragged himself across the tiny room and pressed his hand against the door; testing the handle for what seemed to be the millionth time. It, of course, was still locked from the outside - just as it always was. Letting out a small sigh, he leaned his head on the door wearily as he listened to the conversation being held on the other side.

"What are you doing here?" A higher-pitched female voice snapped. Axel cringed upon hearing her speak, but shook the uneasiness away to hear the rest.

"You know very well why I'm here, Medea," Dayanara retorted. "I'm getting Axel back. You've kept him down here for way too long. Honestly, I don't even know why the hell you wanted him in the first place!"

No response. Axel bit his lip as he waited for Medea's reply.

A sly chuckle rumbled from the woman's throat, which quickly turned into a quick, shrill cackle. "There are some things you will never learn, little nymph," she answered. Axel could imagine the witch slowly circling Dayanara as she said this; her eyes glazed over with malice. "Want a little hint of advice? If I were you, I would turn right around and leave as soon as possible. Also, if you don't, I can still _force_ you."

Axel's eyes widened. He didn't want to lose his only chance of escaping. Reaching up, he pulled on the handle once more - making a loud rattling noise as he did so. Dayanara's head swiveled in the direction of the door, and she swiftly flew over.

"Just hang on, Axel - I'm gonna get you out." Reaching out her hand, she went to unlock the door, but was thrown back by a horribly strong, repelling force. A cry of shock escaped her lips, and she staggered back; landing with a thud on the floor. Medea snickered again and casually walked over.

"Now, what did I tell you?" She asked; her voice sweet but reprimanding. "You're not getting him back. The longer I can keep you two apart, the easier it is for me to eliminate both of you." Dayanara gasped and looked up at her with large eyes.

"B-but why?!" She stammered as she pulled herself to her feet. "What did we ever do to you? I don't even _know_ you!"

"It's simple. You're getting in my way. I don't have to tell you everything, you know." A smirk appeared on her pale face. "Well - it was nice seeing you, Dayanara." At that, she raised her hand, snapped her fingers, and within seconds Dayanara had vanished entirely from the scene.

Axel swallowed hard. He had hoped that she would have been able to help him get out of his prison - as it was obvious he wasn't able to do it on his own. His heart sank in defeat as he trudged back over to the wooden board that served as his bed, and he fell down on top of it; attempting to fight back tears.

The lock on the door clicked. He quickly wiped his eyes and glanced up in fear. Medea's tall figure stood in the doorway - her hands on her hips.

"I have to say, I'm rather impressed with you," she said, taking the liberty of walking in and sitting down on his bed to face him. "You're much stronger than I thought. I suppose that's the reason why it's taking so long to kill you." She gently reached out and brushed her fingers across his cheek; a sick, demented smile stretching across her face. Axel shivered and grit his teeth as he roughly pulled away from her. She simply raised an eyebrow in response.

"I was merely making a statement. If anything, you should have taken it as a compliment." She abruptly stood to her feet and spun around - closing the door behind her and locking it once she was out of the room.

Axel stared at the door for several uncomfortable minutes afterward. His mind was racing; trying to come up with every possible plan of escape.

_I just need to find the perfect window of opportunity. _He let out a sigh. _That is, if there is one._

* * *

Dayanara's gossamer wings were rapidly growing tired as she flew through the lush jungles of the Glade of Dreams. Her heart was racing and her body was weakening, but that didn't stop her from trying to find someone to help.

There was only one person she could think to ask. Unfortunately, she wasn't on very good terms with anyone in the Glade, which made it much harder for her to search for assistance.

Her eyes spotted a tall, pointy green hat with long, red hair flowing out from underneath it. Dayanara pulled to a halt beside the fairy, gasping for air.

"Betilla, please," she panted; her eyes wide. "You have to help me." Her older sister huffed and folded her arms.

"And what makes you think that I would?" She shot back. Dayanara bit her lip as she struggled to keep from crying.

"Axel's stuck in the basement of the cathedral. There's… there's a witch down there and she won't let him go!" After she said this, she placed her face in her hands; shaking her head and whimpering other muffled words that were completely incomprehensible. Betilla sighed and backed away.

"No - I'm not helping you. You've already caused this entire Glade enough damage - so why should I repay you with kindness?" She didn't speak any more than that, and simply turned from her estranged younger sister.

Dayanara let out a small sob as she watched Betilla fly away. Unsure of what else to do, she crumpled to the ground and began to weep helplessly.

A small rustle in the bushes reached her ears amidst the sound of her own crying, but she completely disregarded it as an animal who would be of no use to her. Slowly, she rocked herself back and forth.

"I'm so sorry, Axel," she whispered; her voice choked with emotion. "I'm so, so sorry…."

Little did she know, there was someone who had seen her in her horribly miserable state. His wide eyes stared down at her as he tilted his head.

"Hey… you okay?"

Dayanara jumped in surprise, and her eyes instantly narrowed. "My God - you shouldn't be sneaking up on people like that! I literally almost had a heart…." her eyes finally met with his, and her mouth went dry. "…Attack."

A blond-haired replica of Axel stood only feet away; his large, curious eyes filled with shock at her sudden outburst.

"I-I'm sorry," he stuttered. "I didn't mean to scare you." He nervously wrung his hands and bit his lip. "I just saw you crying and I wanted to make sure you were okay." Dayanara slowly stood to her feet and swiftly wiped her tears as she furrowed her brow.

"You… wanted to make sure I was _okay?"_ she repeated. "What in the hell, Rayman?! Why should you care at all?" The limbless creature took a timid step backward and sighed.

"Look - is there something I can help you with? I saw you talking to Betilla, and she didn't seem too…" he paused, searching for the right word, "…_eager_ to deal with whatever problem you're having." He gave a slight shrug. "Just tell me what I gotta do. I promise I won't hurt you, if that's what you're afraid of."

Dayanara closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. _I can't believe he's helping me,_ she thought. _Last I checked, enemies don't actually help each other. _Her eyes quickly glanced up in his direction once again.

"Well, if you say so," she mumbled, turning around and waving a hand. "C'mon, follow me."

* * *

Axel briskly paced back and forth within the small confines of his room as he worked to come up with a plan. He stopped to kneel down next to the bed, and pulled out a small chunk of the wooden plank that he had taken out many times before.

It was a thick piece of wood; he had carved it so it was as sharp as a knife. It fit cozily into a small cavity in the bed and he used it as a hiding place from Medea. Now he was going to put his tiny weapon to the test: to see if it could cut a hole in the door itself.

_If this works, I would just need to get past that friggin' witch. _He frowned and made his way back over to the door.

The wooden knife effortlessly cut through the softer wood of the door, and Axel let out a small smile. _Heh. Didn't think it would be this easy. _He quickly began chiseling away, and not even several minutes later, he had created a small opening in which he could peer out of.

It seemed as though Medea was out at that moment. A shock of excitement coursed through his entire body when he realized just how close freedom really was. He didn't waste any time in hacking away at the rest of the door around the handle, and after a few more minutes, the door swung open on its own accord.

Axel's heart pounded so hard in his chest that he was sure it would burst. Quietly, he crept out of the room and into the giant, circular chamber that made up the main living space; his eyes locked on the corridor that led to the stairs.

"Where do you think you're going?!" A sharp voice screeched - shattering the still, quiet atmosphere. Axel froze in place as his body become paralyzed out of pure terror. Long fingernails dug into his back; seizing his tank top with a horribly tight grip.

Medea let out an angry growl and spun him around to face her directly. "You're _really_ asking for it now," she hissed. In a swift act of rage, she threw him down to the ground. The collision left Axel temporarily immobilized, and he grit his teeth as a jolt of pain shot through his body.

"I warned you about leaving - didn't I, Axel?" She continued, standing over him maliciously. "Well you know what? That little trick you pulled just cost you." Raising her hand, she closed her eyes. Bright light filled the room while she uttered a few words under her breath. Axel glanced up and gasped when he saw that she suddenly held a fairly large metal pole in her hands.

Raising it high, the witch smirked cruelly as she brought it down on his head. Blood instantly spattered onto the floor upon the impact, and he let out a horrified yelp.

"P-please…. stop," he whimpered; gripping the floor with both hands. Medea ignored his distressful plea - repeating the brutal action over and over again.

Axel sharply sucked in air through clenched teeth when he felt something on his head snap. A river of blood poured from his skull only seconds after. Medea took a step back and narrowed her eyes, watching blankly as he writhed on the floor in agony. Setting her jaw, she reached down and plucked him off the ground, then carelessly tossed him back into his room.

She let out a groan when she saw what had happened to the door. "Ugh, you had to ruin my door too?" She raised her hand and instantly, the door was back in place - exactly the way it always had been.

It was all Axel could do to stay conscious. With a trembling hand, he reached up and gently ran his fingers across his skull; wincing from the pain. There was an abnormality where the metal plate was supposed to be: the one that kept his brains from spilling out of his head. It appeared to have been snapped in half.

Again he grimaced and quickly pulled his hand away. Closing his eyes, he rested his head against the floor.

_Well, I didn't think I'd die like this,_ he thought; gasping from the pain. _I just hope it goes over quickly._

* * *

Rayman and Dayanara were fatigued by the time they reached the cathedral. The two stopped for a quick moment to catch their breath before heading down into the basement.

"So… you need me to be a distraction?" Rayman inquired; picking up the pace again. Dayanara nodded and followed suit.

"Yes. If you can take Medea's attention off of Axel and I, we could get him out of there." She shook her head and bit her lip. "I'm not really sure what her deal is, though. I mean - she seems so bent on killing me and Axel, and I hardly even know her." Rayman briefly glanced over at her.

"Maybe she doesn't want you taking over the Glade before she tries," he suggested, pausing as they reached a long hallway with a staircase near where they stood. "Hey, uhh… is this where we're supposed to go?"

Dayanara took the lead, but instead of going down the length of the hall, she stopped in front of a large wooden panel on the side of the wall underneath the stairs. "No - we go in here." Gripping the sides, she pulled the plank away to reveal a dark tunnel. "Once we get down here, there will be a chamber with several different ways to go." She looked at him and shrugged. "Don't worry - I know my way around."

They both swiftly made their way down the tunnel. It led into a large, circular opening; and - true to Dayanara's word - there were many different paths to take.

The nymph flew down the corridor so fast, Rayman had to sprint in order to keep up with her.

"We're almost there," she breathlessly announced. They could see a warm light peeking around a corner up ahead of them. Once they reached the room, Dayanara stealthily peered around the corner. She turned to Rayman; her face pale.

"There's blood all over the floor," she whispered. He could see that her hands were beginning to shake. "I… I have a really bad feeling about this…."

Rayman bit his lip. "Just calm down," he quietly said. "You won't be able to do anything if you freak out." Gently, he moved her out of the way so he could get a better look.

"Alright," he solemnly said; glancing back at her. "I'm gonna go in there and create some sort of distraction. You wait here until you see an opportunity for you to get past us, okay?" He didn't give her a chance to respond. Only seconds later, Medea's shocked exclamations filled the room as Rayman walked in.

Dayanara watched with wide eyes as the witch began to use her powers against Rayman. He didn't seem to mind, however, and kept a smile on his face as he dodged her attacks… which seemed to drive Medea insane.

"You really think you have a chance?" She growled. "Why, with your lack of limbs, that would only make you weaker." Rayman smirked and tackled her to the ground. Her eyes bulged in fright as she struggled against him. He shot a quick glance at Dayanara; giving her a cue. She nodded and flew around the corner, her gaze rapidly landing on the puddle of blood on the ground as she found the door to the room Axel was in.

Raising her finger, she scrunched her eyebrows in concentration as a bright blue glow appeared around her hand. The same light materialized on the inside of the lock, and with a quick flick of her wrist, the door was unlocked.

"Axel!" She immediately cried upon entering the room. Her dark eyes dilated when she saw the horrible state he was in. Kneeling down next to him, she swallowed back the lump that formed in her throat as she gently turned him over to get a better look at his injuries.

"…Oh my God," she whispered; pressing a hand to her mouth. "No, this can't be happening."

* * *

Medea grit her teeth as she fought to shove Rayman off of her. It made her furious that the kid was much stronger than her… and he was hardly even trying.

_I suppose I will have to resort to using all of my powers, _she mused. Closing her eyes, she lightly moved her lips as she recited yet another incantation. Rayman withdrew when he saw her form beginning to change. Pulling back his fist, he concentrated his power into his hands - which resulted in his fist glowing a bright yellow.

Medea rose to her feet, and when she snapped her eyes open, they were shaped similar to a snake's: the pupil only running down the length of the eye in a vertical line. Sharp fangs popped out of her gums as she smiled. Her dark brown hair curled around her face and stuck in unnatural positions - looking more like quills than hair.

Rayman narrowed his eyes as he tried to focus on keeping his fist charged. Medea let out a cackle of triumph and slowly approached him.

"I'm surprised none of you know who I am," she spoke. Her voice had deepened drastically - as it sounded much harsher than normal. "After all, _I'm _the one who is always causing trouble to your world. Every puny creature you fought was under my control… and most of them didn't even know it!"

The limbless creature put down his hand for a brief moment. His eyes switched to an expression of confusion. "So… you're the reason I'm here?" Medea nodded and clapped her hands.

"Bravo, little runt. I see you're catching on." She narrowed her eyes; her forked tongue flicking. "Polokus knew I was threatening the peace and harmony of the world, so he had the nymphs create _you._" She steadily began to circle him, gently stroking his face with the back of her hand. "It's a shame you're not quite… _all there,_" she giggled. "You _do_ know that you were supposed to have limbs, right?" Rayman's eyes dulled and a frown planted itself on his face.

"Well it doesn't really matter," he countered. "I can do just fine without 'em." A smug smile played at the corners of his mouth as he suddenly shot his fist forward. The hard force knocked the witch back, but instead of crashing into the opposite wall, she used her magic to rapidly disappear.

Rayman shook his head and sighed. _What a wimp. _Wasting no time at all, he quickly spun around and ran into the other room where Axel and Dayanara were.

He didn't ask any questions, however - Dayanara's tear-stained face was enough to explain the situation.

"… I c-can't get him to wake up," she choked; rocking Axel back and forth in her arms. Rayman bit his lip as he looked down at him. The clone's normally tan skin was now deathly pale, and there was a thick layer of half-dried blood that covered most of his face - as well as stained his torso red.

Dayanara squeezed her eyes shut as several more tears raced down her face. "I can't use any more of my power to help him," she quietly said; her voice shaking. "If I did, then I would die… which wouldn't really save him at all." Rayman's countenance turned somber.

"We need to get him upstairs," he finally spoke. "Do you need help carrying him?" Dayanara scowled; despite her teary-eyed appearance.

"I can do it myself," she snapped, wiping her nose as she sniffed lightly. Standing to her feet, she extended her hand and encased Axel's body in the familiar indigo light; lifting him effortlessly off of the ground. Carefully, she held him aloft as they quickly ran out of the dark basement - hoping never to go back again.

* * *

"We need to find a way to fix his head before he wakes up and goes insane," Dayanara stated once they set Axel down on her bed, pulling off the now-bloodied bandana that he always wore around his skull. She pressed a hand to her forehead for a moment after laying her eyes on the gruesome sight. The metal plate had indeed snapped, and part of it was digging into his brain. Dayanara swallowed hard.

"Rayman, I can't do this," she suddenly wheezed; her face turning white. "I… I need to sit down."

Gently, Rayman guided her into a nearby chair and sighed. "Look - I'll take care of it. Just… don't pass out on me, okay?" Dayanara bit her trembling lower lip and nodded.

"I'll try," she squeaked.

If the situation hadn't been so intense, Rayman would have laughed. It was very unlike Dayanara to be acting this way. As he walked back over to Axel, he furrowed his brow.

"Normally, this kind of stuff doesn't bother you at all," he mentioned, examining the injury as he spoke. "So why now?" His eyes jumped up to look at her as he waited for a response.

Dayanara nervously fidgeted in the chair. "I don't…" she pursed her lips. "I don't know. I haven't really been acting like myself since Axel and I went downstairs to see who was making that noise." She slightly shrugged her shoulders. "We had no idea it would turn out like this. I mean - _my_ first thought was that it was a Teensie or something. Not a witch." Shaking her head, she sighed.

"I think Medea messed with the connection between Axel and I. If everything was the way it was supposed to be, I would be really weak right now." She let out yet another sigh. "Maybe I am. Maybe we're still connected… but not as strong as before."

Rayman simply nodded as he listened; carefully fingering the two halves of broken metal on Axel's head. Lowering his eyebrows, he glanced up at her again.

"Hey - uhh, you think you could get me a screwdriver?" He casually asked. Dayanara showed no expression as she held out her hand and used her telekinetic powers to bring one to him. He muttered a quick thanks and began to unscrew the pieces of metal from Axel's head.

"What are you doing?" Dayanara flatly asked. Rayman didn't look up from his work.

"Well - if I can get the metal free, I can try and weld the pieces back together," he plainly described. "That way, it will be twice as strong as it was before, and won't be so apt to break."

Dayanara said nothing in reply. Part of her was impressed at how well he was handling the situation, but she would never say it aloud.

Once he separated the metal from Axel's head, Rayman placed the segments onto the nightstand and grabbed a long bandage that he had brought into the room when they first came in. Wrapping it tightly around the open wound, he turned back to the nightstand and took the metal into his hands once again.

"I'll be right back," he said as he quickly dashed for the door. "You just keep a close eye on him while I'm gone."

"But where are you going?" Dayanara called after him. "How long will you be gone?"

"Trust me - I won't take long," his voice carried back to her from the other room.

After he had left, Dayanara took in a deep breath and brought her chair over to the bedside. The room was quiet. She could hear Axel's slow, faint breathing clearly now that there was nothing else to be heard.

The ordinary sound seemed to bring her a small sense of comfort as she reached out to grip his hand; patiently waiting for Rayman's return.

* * *

The limbless creature came bounding into the room a half-hour later, holding up a curved piece of metal in his hand. "Look, Dayanara - I got it fixed!" He exclaimed. The fairy's eyes widened with relief.

"Oh, thank Polokus," she breathed; holding a hand to her chest. Rayman ran over to Axel's side and proceeded in unraveling the bandage around his head. He grabbed the screwdriver once again and fastened the metal back onto the clone's skull.

"Did he wake up while I was gone?" Rayman inquired as he tied the gauze tight. Dayanara shook her head.

"No. If he did, he would have tried to kill me." Her voice was quiet and she gave a slight shudder. Rayman raised an eyebrow.

"Has that happened before?"

She swallowed hard. "Yeah…" Her eyes went down to her hands that were folded in her lap. "When I created him, his brain wasn't finished forming by the time you escaped." At this, she shot him a quick, hard glance before casting her eyes back down. "Unfortunately, it resulted in him losing part of his sanity, because he was so near death.

"It was right after he woke up that he attacked me, and - as you know - I had to use most of my powers to keep him stable." She let out a sigh; running a hand through her long, black locks.

"So every time something bad happens to him, you're afraid he'll go insane again?" Rayman pressed. He really was rather intrigued with the story - even after four years since it happened, he had never heard their account of what took place.

Dayanara dipped her head. The room went silent; both pairs of eyes turning back to Axel. The nymph bit her lip as she struggled to fight another rush of tears. Try as she may, she couldn't stop several salty tears from slipping down her cheeks and landing into the black ruffles of her skirt.

"Rayman, what if he never wakes up?" She suddenly cried; burying her face in her hands. "He's weaker now than he was back when I created him…." Her shoulders shook as more tears spilled down her face.

Rayman nervously shifted his weight and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. He wasn't sure of how to respond.

"Is there any way we can collect some Lums to restore his strength…?" She asked after she had finished her cry; her voice hardly above a whisper. Her large eyes - streaked with smudging mascara and eyeliner - shot up to look at Rayman; waiting for an answer.

"No," he quietly replied as he shook his head. "It would take too long. He'd be dead before we could find enough." Dayanara clasped her hands together and pressed them to her mouth - closing her eyes as she did so. Rayman held out his hands in protest.

"But you don't have to worry, okay?" He hastily said. "I've got this under control." She immediately glanced up and watched him carefully as he walked back over to Axel's unmoving figure.

Exhaling slowly, Rayman shut his eyes and scrunched his brow in concentration. His chest and hands began to glow as he forced his power to leave his body; the radiance of the Lums' energy congregating in a centralized spot between his cupped hands.

Dayanara gaped in awe while Rayman thrust his hands forward in Axel's direction. The golden light spiraled around his body for a brief moment before evaporating into his discolored, battered skin.

Rayman opened his eyes and looked back at Dayanara; a hint of a smile on his face.

"He should be fine," he simply said as he stepped away from the bedside. "I'm sorry I stuck around so long. You probably want me to leave now." Without saying another word, he slipped out of the room and disappeared as quickly as he had come in not that long before.

* * *

A faint, rustling noise abruptly pulled Dayanara out of her catnap. Her tired eyes popped open wide when she saw that Axel had begun to stir.

Leaning forward in her seat, she folded her hands in anticipation. His eyebrows furrowed, and a slight moan escaped his lips as he finally came to. Dayanara took his hand into her own; instantly commanding his attention.

"D-Dayanara…?" He weakly stuttered as his eyes slowly grew wide. "How did you get here?"

Without giving him an answer, she let out a tiny sob of elation and rushed forward - pulling him into a tight embrace. Axel inhaled sharply; as the sudden action created a horrible, throbbing sensation all over his body.

"Oh my God," she repeatedly muttered. "I can't believe I almost lost you…."

Axel sat there in a state of uncomfortable silence while Dayanara hugged him tight. After a few moments, she pulled back and wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry - it's just I couldn't bear to imagine you being gone, and I honestly thought for a while there that you really were dead." Axel leaned back into the pillow and stared at her; his eyes dull.

"Why should you care?" He flatly inquired. "I thought you didn't give a damn about me. All you were _really_ upset about was that fact that, if I had died, you would lose all of your power." He looked her straight in the eye. "Am I right?"

Dayanara firmly shook her head, then unexpectedly stood to her feet. "I'll tell you everything later. Right now, I gotta get you something to eat - you probably haven't eaten for weeks!" Giving a small smile, she reached down under the bed and pulled out what looked to be a tiny, leather-bound book. It was slightly stained with blood, and appeared as though it had gone through some wear.

She set it atop his bed before leaving the room. Axel glanced down at the book - he instantly recognized it as his own journal. Picking it up, he flipped through the familiar pages: the ones that told of all his adventures and mishaps; emotions and dreams. He finally reached the final entry, and his eyes widened as he stared at it in surprise.

It wasn't in his own writing, nor could he recall how it got there. Curiously tilting his head, he pulled the journal closer so he could read what was written on the spotted, yellowing pages.

_16th day of Winter, 10:57 AM_

_I understand you don't like me looking through your journal, but I simply had to while you're still completely out of it. After all, you haven't had a chance to tell me what happened, and I can't help but fear that you may never even wake up._

_ To be extremely honest, I feel horrible for treating you the way I have since I created you. I should have known better than that. You may never find it in your heart to forgive me, but that's alright. I deserve it. I suppose I just never understood the fact that, despite you being a mere clone, you still have your own feelings and dreams; like everyone else._

_ As I'm writing this, I watch for any sign of movement on your end. If you don't make it, I can't imagine what I would do. If you really think about it, we cannot live without each other. Not just because we are magically tied; but because that's how it's always been. If I were to leave you without warning, how in the world would you survive on your own? Reversely, if you leave me, I would be left in a state of shock. Those are my thoughts at this moment as I patiently sit here beside your bed - hoping that you will wake._

_ Please don't leave me, Axel. Especially not now; since we haven't had a chance to make amends. But, upon the chance that you do end up reading this, I want you to know that you're stronger than you realize. You have more potential than I thought possible, and I am truly honored to be the one who created you._

Axel stopped reading for a moment. His eyes swam with tears as he re-read the last few sentences. It almost didn't seem possible to believe that Dayanara actually did have a heart; and that he meant more to her than he was even aware of. Wiping his eyes, he set his gaze onto the next paragraph, and continued reading.

_Also, I'm sorry for never taking your opinions into consideration. I didn't know that in doing so, I hurt you. I just hope we can set everything straight again… that is, if you wake up, of course. Maybe the gods will be on our side for once, and they'll return your health back to you. _

_ I should put this away. I've held it in my hands for far too long, and that alone would most likely make you upset. Please forgive me - as I felt it was necessary to leave you a small message._

_ Thank you for putting up with me over the years, Axel. I truly appreciate it._

_~Dayanara_

Tears streamed from his eyes as he set the book down beside him. Never in his life did he feel accepted; _wanted. _He had always viewed himself as no one special or unique - using the excuse that he was only a clone; making him nothing but a puppet in his creator's eyes.

But those simple, printed words on that rough piece of paper went against everything he had believed up to that moment. Not only did Dayanara care about him, she also acknowledged the fact that he was more than just a likeness of another person - that he was capable of expressing his own emotions and had aspirations that were distinctively his.

Axel leaned back and stared at the ceiling as everything that had recently happened began to replay in his mind. If it had to take a near-death experience in order for Dayanara to fully realize how much she needed him, he decided that every ounce of suffering was certainly well worth it in the end.


End file.
